Understanding the impact of COVID-19
COVID-19 has left no corner of the world untouched. How ordinary people are experiencing the pandemic however varies widely as countries take very different measures to control the virus.
It matters to understand the impact decision making is having on individual lives. Why? Because without this knowledge, we can’t evaluate the effectiveness of different policies and strategies. We need to learn from global experience to inform responses to this and future infectious disease pandemics.
Collecting such data in hindsight is challenging which is why the team at the Nossal Institute are working hard to capture real time sentiments in our communities. Nossal is undertaking a survey to record to the pandemic as experienced by real people.
In a two-pronged approach, Nossal researchers are gathering testimony from health workers to gain insight into the health system's capacity to respond during the current crisis which will inform the future preparedness of health systems. A second survey initiated by Professor Barbara McPake, Director of the Nossal Institute for Global Health, is seeking to collect the experiences and attitudes of people all over the world in the face of the onset of COVID-19.
COVID-19 Health Worker Voices utilises WhatsApp to allow health workers to share via a simple voice memo the specific challenges they face, as well as innovations undertaken in their workplaces.
How Are You Going? is an online survey gathering the experiences of ordinary people to understand how health approaches and policy differences compare. Right now our survey shows 1 in 2 respondents report feeling lonely or isolated at least some of the time in the last week. You can keep updated with the changing global mood on our project findings page.
How have you been affected by the spread of COVID-19? Be part of the international conversation about how responses have worked out and affected ordinary people, take part in the How Are You Going survey If you are a health worker, tell us what is happening for you at Health Workers Voices.